♪ ♪ captioning sponsored by cbs >> glor: on the "cbs evening news" this wednesday, late news on jussie smollett out of chicago. >> breaking news: "empire" actor jussie smollett has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filling a false police report. >> smollett originally told police that he was the target of a racist and homophobic attack. >> special counsel robert mueller could be wrapping up the russia investigation. >> president trump asked if the mueller report should be made public. >> that will be totally up to the attorney general. authorities say he had weapons and a hit list of prominent politicians. >> the alabama woman who joined isis in syria cannot return to the united states. >> mike pompeo saying, "miss hoda muthana is not a u.s. citizen and will not be admitted into the u.s."

>> glor: cbs news has exclusive photos of maintenance issues that have grounded dozens of southwest jets. >> it doesn't bode well for the safety of the airline. >> huge winter storm moving east. >> more than 200 million americans are in the path. >> snow and sleet have caused treacherous road conditions for travelers. >> all of the buses stopped, it's terrible weather. >> glor: good evening, i'm jeff glor. and this is our western edition. we're going to begin tonight in chicago where police are looking for jussie smollett. our cbs chicago station, wbbm, obtained surveillance video of two brothers who they say were hired by smollett buying items to help stage an attack. dean reynolds is on this story. >> reporter: in a stunning twist, jussie smollett, the 36- year-old actor, is now charged with disorderly conduct after filing a false police report about an attack he alleged happened to him in chicago on january 29. the offense is a felony and could carry jail time. smollett has refused for days to meet with police detectives,

despite repeated requests to explain himself. late tonight, his attorney released a statement: inside the cook county courthouse today, the investigation picked up speed as two brothers central to the case testified before a grand jury. >> i can't tell you what color their eyes were. i can't tell you-- and i did not see anything except the second person i saw running away. >> reporter: smollett has said that in the early hours of january 29, two racist homophobes in black masks beat him and hung a rope around his neck yelling, "this is maga country." the two brothers were seen on this surveillance video that night, and have told the police that smollett paid them to stage the attack. chicago station wbbm today obtained video of the two, ola and abel osundairo, purchasing ski masks and a red hat from a local store the day before the alleged attack.

in addition, the f.b.i. and u.s. postal inspectors are studying a letter mailed to the studio where "empire" is filmed and smollett works that threatened the actor. the brothers reportedly alleged smollett crafted the letter, and when it didn't garner much publicity, planned the attack for a week later. amid what looks like a public relations disaster for jussie smollett, we're told he has retained the services of high- profile defense counsel mark garigos, among whose clients have been the football star colin kaepernick, the rapper chris brown, and michael jackson. jeff. >> glor: dean, if there's a conviction in a case like this, how much prison time would someone potentially face? >> reporter: it goes from probation to three years, plus a $25,000 fine. and chicago could come after him to compensate them for the hundreds of hours of time detectives have spent on this

case. >> glor: dean reynolds still on this remarkable story tonight from chicago. dean, thank you. we are going to move now to the arrest of a u.s. coast guard lieutenant. prosecutors are calling him a domestic terrorist. a self-described white nationalist with a collection of weapons and a list of people he wanted to kill, including u.s. senators and media personalities. david martin reports. >> reporter: the motion to keep coast guard lieutenant christopher hasson in jail until he can be brought to trial warns that "he intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country." it quotes a draft email in which he says, "i am dreaming of a wan on the earth."tart with biologi, followed by attacks on food supply, institute a bombing/sniper campaign." when federal agents searched his basement apartment in the suburbs of washington, they found 15 firearms and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

they also found a hit list, which reads like a who's who of liberal politics. speaker of the house nancy pelosi, senate democratic leader chuck schumer, and presidential contenders senator kirsten gillibrand, elizabeth warren, kamala harris, and cory booker. the list also includes television anchors from msnbc and cnn. according to court documents, hasson, who once served in the marines, described himself as "a longtime white nationalist who supports the idea of a white homeland." he read the writings of a norwegian domestic terrorist named anders breivik, who eight years ago went on a rampage which killed 77 norwegians, many of them teenaged summer campers. officials say they believe hasson was not just fantasizing, but was serious about carrying out his plans for mass murder. he is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. jeff. >> glor: a disturbing case.

david martin, thank you very hach. we got our strongest indication today that special counsel robert mueller is close to wrapping his report on russian interference in the 2016 election. president trump was asked about it at the white house this abternoon. and paula reid has details. >> reporter: president trump today wouldn't say whether special counsel robert mueller's final report should be made public. >> i guess from what i understand, that will be totally up to the attorney general, okay. >> reporter: sources tell cbs news, the report detailing the ndndings of the investigation into russian meddling in the io16 election is expected to be delivered to the justice department before deputy attorney general rod rosenstein departs his office in march. he's been overseeing the tigatnce itegan. former acting attorney general matthew whitaker last month: ng the investigation is i think close-- uh-- to being completed, and i hope that we can get the report from director muel-- mueller as soon as we-- as soon

as possible. >> reporter: there is no legal requirement for newly installed attorney general william barr to share mueller's findings with the public. during his confirmation hearing, barr would not commit to releasing the full report. >> i also believe that it is very important that the public and congress be informed of the results of the special counsel's work. my goal will be to provide as much transparency as i can, consistent with the law. >> reporter: the probe has already led to charges against six trump associates, including his former campaign chairman, national security adviser, and personal attorney. but barr is unlikely to release information about others mueller has scrutinized, including the president. kim whaley is a former whitewater investigator. >> that information is traditionally kept confidential on the idea that if you decide not to prosecute someone, that person can go on with their lives without any kind of public disclosure. >> reporter: during his confirmation hearing, barr suggested he may publish a summary of mueller's findings, but house democrats have said if the full report isn't published,

they will issue a subpoena, lrompting a legal fight that would likely end at the supreme court. jeff. >> glor: paula reid, thanks very much. a huge winter storm closed government offices in washington today, and caused problems from north dakota to new england. snow piled up to a record high in minneapolis tonight. in the east, there is sleet and heavy rain. here's don dahler. >> reporter: from the midwest to the northeast, a massive winter storm is making a mess. nearly 3,000 flights were thnceled. >> a little distressing. we found out that our flight has .een canceled to boston. >> reporter: it's even worse on the roads with crashes all across the country. washington, d.c. had another shutdown today, but not because of politics. schools and businesses closed in dozens of states. and one midwest city shattered a record. minnesota knows snow. in fact, they get so much here in minneapolis that they built these skyways so that people can walk between buildings and keep their feet warm.

but they have never seen a february like this-- more snow than ever since recordkeeping began back in 1885. in maryland and ohio... >> wow! >> it's thunder snow. >> reporter: ...and in new jersey, the governor declared a ..ate of emergency. >> when you're on your way home, please, please, take it slow and use common sense and caution. >> reporter: there are those who took off work so they could stay off the roads. but for some who are heading home right about now, their knuckles might be as white as the snow-swept highways they're on. and, jeff, for parts of the country, there is even more snow headed their way by the weekend. >> glor: oh, great. don dahler, thank you very much in minneapolis tonight. the isis bride we profiled here last night apparently will not return to the united states. hoda muthana ran away to join isis in syria several years ago, but now wants to come home. holly williams has late news on this. >> reporter: president trump wieeted this afternoon that he'd

instructed secretary of state mike pompeo not to allow hoda muthana back into the country. the state department said muthana had no right to return, because she "is not a u.s. citizen." but muthana's family say she is f american citizen. they've given us a copy of what they claim is her birth certificate, showing she was born in hackensack, new jersey in 1994. and they say she held a u.s. passport. muthana even seems to have beeted a photograph of it back in 2014, claiming she was going im burn it. hassan shibly is the family's lawyer: >> at the end of the day, she's a u.s. citizen, and whether americans make crimes or not, that doesn't deprive them of their citizenship. >> reporter: if she's been stripped of u.s. citizenship, it's apparently news to her family. >> she's literally trying to turn herself into the u.s. government to be held accountable to our laws, to pay any debts she may have for society.

>> reporter: hoda muthana was studying business at the university of alabama in 2014 when she told her family she was ching on a school trip. instead, flying to the middle east and crossing into isis territory in syria. she's now in a refugee camp with many other isis wives and children and, apparently, remorseful. >> reporter: if the u.s. government won't recognize her as a citizen, she may be there for some time. the family lawyer told us today that they will challenge the u.s. government in court, asserting that hoda muthana is an american citizen and has the right to go home, where she would almost certainly face prosecution. jeff. >> glor: holly williams, thank you very much. 12 survivors of sexual abuse by priests told top catholic officials at the vatican today such attacks can no longer be tolerated. their meeting came one day before pope francis hosts a summit on abuse in the church, and nikki battiste tonight is at

the vatican. n. i walked the streets around for a couple hours, worked out things in my mind, and i have a arpose here today. and i'm focused and ready to do it. >> reporter: shaun dogherty came to rome with a weight on his shoulders. he's here to speak out on behalf of fellow sex abuse survivors at the vatican. >> for the sake of innocent children around the world, everything is on the line for this. >> reporter: dogherty's nearly 4,000-mile journey from pennsylvania began more than 30 years ago when he was molested by a priest at age 10. >> welcome to rome ciampino airport. >> reporter: he's been an outspoken advocate for survivors, after a pennsylvania grand jury report released last fmmer found about 300 catholic clergy had sexually abused more than 1,000 children. this morning, he met with high- itnking bishops and 11 other sex abuse survivors to ask for zero tolerance, which would weed out not only predator priests but those who protected them.

that was a long meeting. >> it was a long meeting. l reporter: how did it go? >> it was not disrespectful, but it was not reverent in any way. >> reporter: dougherty is also upset that pope francis did not attend the meeting. how likely do you think it is that you'll get the changes you're requesting? >> i think i have a better chance of hitting the powerball. >> reporter: the pope has summoned more than 100 bishops to address the global child sex abuse crisis during an unprecedented summit, set to begin tomorrow. >> i want to hear the results. this is the starting point for me. e> reporter: as a reminder of his mission, dougherty brought photos to give to the bishops today of four victims who died by suicide. >> i've kept my promise. they're in the vatican now. their messages from their parents are in the vatican now. >> reporter: the pope will give opening remarks tomorrow morning at the summit, which runs through sunday. so far, jeff, pope francis has not said whether he'll meet with

any survivors. >> glor: all right, nikki battiste, thank you very much. coming up next here on the "cbs evening news," hundreds more southwest airline flights are canceled as a dispute over maintenance following our investigation intensifies. ♪we gonna do what they say can't be done♪ ♪we've got a long way to go ♪and a short time to get there.♪ ♪i'm eastbound, just watch ole bandit run♪ whatever party you've got going in the back, we've got the business up front. we believe nutrition is full of possibilities to improve your pet's life. we're redefining what nutrition can do. because the possibility of a longer life and a healthy life is the greatest possibility of all. purina pro plan. nutrition that performs.

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history of work disruptions" and pointing the finger at a subset of mechanics primarily at four maintenance facilities. the union says management is "scapegoating" technicians, and the airline's self-described 'operational emergency' "is simply an attempt to divert attention away from the airline's safety issues." southwest acknowledges the situation has caused "extremely long delays" and hundreds of canceled flights, about 100 yesterday alone. they include the planes in yellow in these pictures obtained by cbs news. mechanics tell us the company has since restricted access to this out-of-service list. >> this kind of stress in an operation is not good. it doesn't bode well for the safety of the airline. >> reporter: more than a dozen southwest mechanics tell us coworkers felt emboldened to write up problems following our cbs news investigation earlier this month into allegations of undue pressure on mechanics to keep southwest planes in service. southwest declined our interview request today, but senior director of safety management, captain dave hunt, talked to us last month. >> our priorities are always first and foremost safety.

safety first, and that is always paramount. >> reporter: southwest and the mechanics union have been in contract negotiations now for six years. the union insists all of the aircraft that have been written up were done so for legitimate reasons. the f.a.a. tells cbs news it has heightened its oversight of southwest, which is standard procedure during labor issues. jeff. >> glor: kris van cleave continues his reporting on this story. kris, thank you. up next here tonight, is a chinese phone maker involved in spying? our exclusive interview with the company's c.e.o. company's c.e.o. month after month, the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. ongoing pain and stiffness are signs of joint erosion. humira can help stop the clock. prescribed for 15 years, humira targets and blocks a source of inflammation that contributes to joint pain and irreversible damage.

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can you refute that categorically? >> ( translated ): absolutely not possible. and also, we never participate in espionage, and we did not allow any of our employees to do any act like that. and we absolutely never install back doors. even if we were required by chinese law, we would firmly reject that. >> reporter: do you believe the united states is trying to put huawei out of business? >> ( translated ): do you think that will happen? i don't think huawei will collapse because of this. maybe the pressure from the u.s. can be used as an important driver to make sure we work even harder. >> glor: and you can see more of bianna's interview tomorrow on "cbs this morning." up next here tonight, number three has quite a shot. wait until you hear her back teory.

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>> glor: we end here tonight with a story of courage underwf. >> reporter: you can call amanda merrell a regular 16-year-old, except "regular" wouldn't be the right word.

the high school sophomore is also a fierce competitor on the varsity basketball team. >> they can't believe that she can do the things that she does. >> reporter: head coach jennifer shoup... >> she has a never quit, never- give-up attitude. >> this is my first leg that i got. >> reporter: as a toddler, amanda seemed to be healthy and rriving. >> she was a typical two-year- old running and around having fun with her sisters. >> reporter: but a routine x-ray c a bump on her leg revealed she had an often-lethal form of sncer, ewing's sarcoma. she had 14 rounds of chemotherapy before her third birthday. >> every morning, the first thing i would do was check to see if she was still alive. >> reporter: doctors amputated her leg at the knee. amanda was so young, she doesn't remember. a i don't really think, "i would do better if i had two legs." i just have this and i try to do the best i can. >> reporter: because her leg doesn't bend at the knee, she had to change the way she shoots and runs. >> when i shoot, like, people normally bend both their knees. for me, i just kind of, like,

step out, and, like, shoot. for running, since i can't really bend my leg, i kind of swing it to the side. but for basketball, i'm normally the first one down the court, 'm, i mean... >> reporter: her parents say that's been her attitude since she was little. >> she always wanted to climb up the slide, and she never could. but once she got that new leg she could, and that was easy, you know. >> who cares if you're efferent? you can still do stuff that anyone else can do. and you shouldn't let one thing determine who you are. >> reporter: because believing you can is the biggest step of r:em all. jan crawford, cbs news, huntington, maryland. >> glor: she also plays lacrosse and field hockey. that is the "cbs evening news" for tonight. i'm jeff glor. margaret brennan will be on "the late show with stephen colbert" tonight. we'll see you tomorrow. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

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